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KARACHI, Nov 12: The targeted killing of Dr Nisar Sehto, a resident medical officer of Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, at his clinic on Monday sent shock waves through the medical fraternity.

Condemning the murder, the Pakistan Medical Association and Sindh Doctors’ Welfare Association demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and provision of security to doctors.

While a senior PMA Sindh chapter leader, Dr Samrina Hashmi, said the Lyari General Hospital operating theatre and out-patient departments would remain closed in protest over the killing on Tuesday, the hospital medical superintendent said that a day of mourning would be observed and doctors would be persuaded to perform duties while wearing black armbands so that patients did not suffer.

Dr Hashmi said: “We, the doctors of Sindh, are angry and protesting due to lawlessness in Sindh, particularly targeted killings, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on hospitals and their staff in Karachi. We demand a judicial inquiry and immediate arrest of murderers,” she added.

She urged the government to take urgent serious steps to provide security to people, particularly doctors.

Doctors Mujataba Memon, Nawaz Ali Mallah and Nisar Ali Shah of the Sindh Doctors’ Welfare Association also demanded immediate arrest of the killers, warning that all hospitals across the province would be locked if the culprits were not brought to book.

Medical superintendent of the Lyari General Hospital, Dr Khadim Qureshi, said the victim was a senior doctor. “He had been serving at the LGH for about eight years and at present overseeing the surgical side as a resident medical officer on the night shift,” he said.

He said that doctors and staff had gathered at the residence of the deceased to sympathize with and extend their support to the family of Dr Sehto.

According to him, Dr Sehto was married to a government doctor and had a son.

He said that a day of mourning would be observed at the LGH on Tuesday.

“We will perform our duties at OPDs and wards while wearing black armbands,” he said.

He said he would try to convince the doctors and paramedical staff not to suspend their work on Tuesday, as hundreds of patients would suffer otherwise.

In the meantime, PMA Central President Dr Tipu Sultan, General Secretary Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, Karachi PMA President Dr Idrees Adhi and General Secretary Dr Qazi Qasiq also expressed deep sorrow and concern over the murder.

They condemned the killing and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and provision of security to doctors. The entire responsibility of maintaining law and order was government, they noted.